diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tri/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/tri/__init__.py
index 4185452c01..588234e272 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tri/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tri/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from .tricontour import TriContourSet, tricontour, tricontourf
 from .trifinder import TriFinder, TrapezoidMapTriFinder
 from .triinterpolate import (TriInterpolator, LinearTriInterpolator,
                              CubicTriInterpolator)
-from .tripcolor import tripcolor
+from ._tripcolor import tripcolor
 from .triplot import triplot
 from .trirefine import TriRefiner, UniformTriRefiner
 from .tritools import TriAnalyzer
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tri/tripcolor.py b/lib/matplotlib/tri/_tripcolor.py
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/tri/tripcolor.py
rename to lib/matplotlib/tri/_tripcolor.py
